Ghayru Village

As our operations were closed this Spring, a small team of office staffs decided to do Annapurna Circuit Trek crossing Thorong La at 5416 meters in April. The motive of the trek was to assess the route, check the services, make pictures & videos and also to break the monotony of being shut down for so long.

Annapurna Circuit Trek was one of the most popular treks in Nepal and is still among the favorites of many international trekkers visiting Nepal. It is a beautiful trek that passes through the Marshyangdi Valley and offers great scenery and cultural diversity. The hike up is very scenic with amazing mountain views of Himalayan giants like Annapurna, Gangapurna, Tilicho Peak, Pisang Peak and the Chulu range. Besides the natural beauty, the area is also very culturally rich with ancient traditions of the Gurungs and the Manange people, beautiful and old monasteries and quaint settlements of the locals. For the wildlife, Himalayan Thars, Monals, Musk Deer and even the elusive Snow leopard can be spotted while on the trek.

Lower Pisang Village

In terms of difficulty, the trek is a fairly challenging trek and the major highlight of this trek is crossing the Thorong La Pass at an altitude of 5416 meters and arriving in Muktinath, a religious town following the Kali Gandaki Valley. Overall, Annapurna Circuit trek is a classic trek and one of the most diverse treks in Nepal. The extensions of the roads have cut the trek short but the trek is without doubt one of the most fantastic trekking experiences in the world. If you are planning to embark on this beautiful journey, the following tips might come in handy to you.

Annapurna Circuit Trek Itinerary:

The main logic behind a standard itinerary for a Himalayan trek is not to miss a single highlight and yet get well acclimatized at the same time for a successful trip. The development in Nepal has resulted in road construction even in the remotest parts of the country and affected many treks in Nepal. Similar is the case in Annapurna Circuit trek as well. The trek which used to take 22 days in the past can now be done in half the time with an extension to Tilicho lake, one of the highest glacial lakes in the world.  To skip the roads, not miss any major highlights and get well acclimatized while trekking up, we suggest you the below itinerary and tips:

Day 1: Drive to Chame (Approx. 2650m) via Besisahar

Drive time: 10 – 11 hours (4 -5 hrs black topped road and 5 hrs off road)

Lunch: Besisahar

Lodge: Hotel New Shangrila

Tip: It is always good if you leave Kathmandu early after breakfast. Though local transportation is available, it is good to hire a private vehicle, especially for the off-road section.

Day 2: Trek to Upper Pisang (Approx. 3300m)

Walk time: 5-6 hours

Lunch: Dhikur Pokhari

Lodge: Hotel Manang Marshyangdi

Day 3: Trek to Ngawal (Approx. 3650m)

Walk time: 5-6 hours

Lunch: Ghyaru

Lodge: Hotel Mountain View

Tip: Ghyaru and Ngawal are both beautiful old settlements of the local people. To enjoy these villages, take the upper trail via Ghyaru and get inside the village to explore more.

Day 4: Trek to Manang (Approx. 3519m)

Walk time: 5 hours

Lunch: Bhraka

Hotel: Hotel Tilcho

 Tip: After your lunch, take a visit to one of the oldest and the most beautiful monasteries in the region. The monastery is more than 600 years old with large number of Buddha statues and offers a great view from the top.

 Day 4: Acclimatization day at Manang (Approx. 3519m)

Walk time: 4 hours

Lunch: Manang

Hotel: Hotel Tilcho

Tip: Go for walk to the Gangapurna Lake and follow the trial up to the top of the hill at 4300 meters, a perfect acclimatization day. If you want a longer day, one can also go for an excursion to the Ice Lake.

 Day 5: Trek to Tilicho Base Camp (Approx. 4200m)

Walk time: 4 hours

Lunch: Sri Kharka

Hotel: Hotel New Himalaya

Tip: Watch out for landslide and rockfall sections after Sri Kharka and hour before reaching the Base Camp.

 Day 6: Trek to Tilicho Lake and back to Sri Kharka (Approx. 4080m)

Walk time: 8 hours

Lunch: Tilicho Base Camp

Lodge: Himalayan Hotel

Tip: Start the day pretty early before sunrise with a light meal. After getting back from Tilicho Lake, rest at the Base Camp while enjoying your breakfast.

Tilicho Lake (4919m)

Day 7: Trek to Yak Kharka (Approx. 4018m)

Walk time: 5 hours

Lunch: Yak Kharka

Lodge: Hotel Dream Home

Day 8: Trek to Thorong Phedi (Approx. 4533m)

Walk time: 5 hours

Lunch: Thorong Phedi

Hotel: Thorong Basecamp Lodge

Tip: Watch out for rock fall section about 30 mins before reaching Thorong Phedi.

Day 9: Cross Thorong La (5416 m) and trek to Muktinath and drive to Jomsom (Approx. 2743m)

Walk time: 9 hours, drive 1 hr

Lunch: Packed Lunch

Lodge: Tilicho Lodge

Tip: Make an early start so that you are at the top of the Pass before noon. Get yourself a packed lunch from the hotel to enjoy at the top of the Pass. Keep you crampons ready and trekking poles handy for the descent.

 Also, coordinate with your Agent/Guide to have a vehicle standby at Muktinath to drive to Jomsom.

On the way to the top of Thorong La Pass

Thorong La Pass (5416m)

Day 10: Fly to Pokhara (Approx. 822m)

Tip: If you have a day or two to spare, spend it in Pokhara basking in the beauty of this amazing lakeside city – you won’t regret!

Day 12: Fly to Kathmandu (Approx. 1400m)

Things to Know

 Accommodation

As Annapurna Circuit Trek is one of the oldest and well-connected trekking areas of Nepal, finding accommodations is not a problem during this trek. There are abundant lodges in all the stops with price ranging from USD 10 to USD 120 depending on the level and standard of the services provided. It is only in Thorong Phedi and Thorong High Camp, the two small settlements before the Thorong La pass, accommodations might get a bit tight due to limited availability and the high number of trekkers visiting the area. Just make sure you carry a sleeping bag (-20 Celsius) for a cozy sleep and double check with your agent if they have confirmed the rooms for you.

Fooding

Like accommodation in the Annapurna Circuit Trek, the food availability during the trek is also not a problem. All the lodges will have full menu with food ranging from Nepali, Indian, Italian and continental. We suggest you to be an eggetarian during the trek though meat is available through out. Talk to your guide for the best food to eat as he will have access to the Kitchen. As the popular trekking saying goes, “Dal Bhat Power 24 hour, noodle power only half an hour”, go for local foods especially Dal Bhat, a good mix of carb and protein.

Water

Water can be refilled pretty easily in all the lodges and there are water sources/taps along the trail. We discourage the purchase of bottled water (as it contributes to plastic waste) and therefore suggest to use purification tablets or water filtration systems. One can also buy hot water in the lodges from USD 5-10 depending on how high you are.

Electricity and Charging

Compared to other trekking areas in Nepal, electricity is not a problem in the area. There are good charging facilities in all the lodges and the charges for it is also nominal. It is only at Tilicho Base Camp, Thorong Phedi and Thorong High Camp, there might be some issues with charging as the settlements are on solar back up. Make sure you have a good power bank especially for the nights in these places.

Communication

Annapurna area is well connected in terms of telecommunications and internet facility. You can find mobile network easily to Khangsar and internet connection throughout the trek.  There will be a charge for the usage of internet, which will also be higher as you trek higher.

Equipment

One needs regular trekking gears like boots, hiking pants, good base layers, Dri Fit t shirts, down jackets, Poncho and wind cheater. Sunscreen, sunglass and hats are also very important for the trek. On the technical side, it will be a safe bet to carry ins step crampons and trekking poles which come in very handy for snowy trail and descent after Thorong la pass.

Permits

You will need two governmental permits to complete the trek – Annapurna Area Conservation Project fees (ACAP) and Trekkers Information System Management System ( TIMS).  Your Travel Agent will easily sort both these permits for you.

Getting there

You can hire a jeep straight to Chame from Kathmandu. Options of local transport to Besishar is available and you have to change another vehicle for Chame.

For Muktinath-Jomsom section , local jeep options, both sharing and private hire are available. You can also take a 20 minutes’ flight to Pokhara or take local transport to Pokhara, both available on full hire or individual basis.

Best Time to Travel

Spring season from March till May and the Autumn season from September till December is the best time to visit the region.  During Spring, the sky is clear, days are warm and the views open up really good. Autumn season also has clearer days, good views but is slightly drier and colder compared to Spring.

Winters are also okay to trek if you can cope with the cold.  Just make sure you have enough warm clothes.

The area receives slightly lesser rain compared to other areas due to its topography, especially Manang and upper areas. Hence, once can also trek the area during monsoon.

Khangsar Village

(This is a personal account of Anuj Pandey, General Manager of Explore Himalaya Travel and Adventure. For more details on this trek, please go to https://www.explorehimalaya.com/packages/annapurna-circuit-trekking/ .  For any enquiries, contact us at sales@explorehimalaya.com)

Explore Himalaya congratulates Miss Wasfia Nazreen from Bangladesh on completion of her Climbing Course and for trekking upto Island Peak located in the Khumbu Region of Nepal from 17th November to 4th December 2010. After the completion of her climbing course, Ms. Nazreen climbed Island Peak (6173m) and was able to reach upto 5890m. before she had to descend due to bad weather. Her expedition and climbing course was arranged Explore Himalaya.

Island Peak Climbing

Following the Foot steps of George Mallory who explored route up to the North Col of Everest in 1921, a group of Trekkers from United Kingdom successfully completed their mission across the Kharta Glacier and finally, emerged at the East Rongbuk Glacier from Khangsung face of Everest crossing over two high passes, next to Kharbo La (6128m) and Lagba La (6883m).

The team led by Michael Bromfield, Chairman of the UK based Company, “The Great Walks” had left for Lhasa on 25th of April, 2006 with a team of 7 British man and one Thai female climber, Ampai Somsook. Members of the British team were: Michael Bromfield, Phil Coates, Richard John, Raymond Tempest, Andrew Christie, Richard Thompson and Brook Matthew. After visting Lhasa and Xigatse, they reached Kharta Village on 29th of April where they were met by a team of nine Sherpas led by senior climbing guide of Explore Himalaya, Phurba Pasang Sherpa.

Packing their loads on yaks, the team left on the next day for their Trek to Khangsung BC of Everest, arrived at Pethang Ringmo via Lundrungbing, Shaola and Khangsung valley on 4th of May. Acclimatizing at Pethang Ringmo on 5th, the group headed above Three and a half hours for the Russian Camp on 6th May which was a turn off between Karbo La and the Khangsung Base Camp.

From the Turn off, Michael Bromfield, Richard John, Richard Thompson and Ampai left for Khangsung Base camp with Four Sherpas whereas, the main group headed towards Karbo La under leadership of Phil Coates which included Raymond Tempest, Andrew Christie and Brook Matthew to set up the camp two hours further, below Karbo La. Next day on 8th of May, exploration towards the passes took place to find out a proper and safe route. Out of  three passes available to go towards Kharta Glacier, Karbo La(6128m) on the left end seemed over snowed and with numerous crevices afterwards whereas, the pass after that in the middle(6242m) was also not physible. Ultimately, the pass (6289m) at the right end was decided and therefore, left equipments below the pass and set as a high camp.

On 9th of May, the team left for the real adventure and reached up to the pass ultimately returning down to the Camp for rest. Finally, crossed the pass on 10th of May, went on the other side over Kharta Glacier and camped at the height of 5860m.

It was a long day on 11th, start at 8.30 am and finished finally at 6.30 PM, all day walk along the Kharta Glacier to reach the camp below Lagba La at the height of 6380m. Next day, It was another long trip to climb up to the Lagba La (6883m) and descend down to East Rongbuk Glacier finally, reaching the camp at ABC (6400m)late evening. On their descent from the Pass, Lagbala, Jamie Mcguinness who had been over the pass from ABC to provide assistance to the group missed them just by 200m since the group took a straight way down the cliff through the ropes fixed by advance team of Sherpas led by Pasang. However, Jamie thinks that the actual route was slightly southward, much easier which could have been better had the group opted for it. Any way, although taking the unusual route, they safely landed at the ABC.

Another long day’s walk all the way from ABC to the Base camp (5200m) on 13th May where the group met with Trekking team of Michael Bromfield that came from Kharta and enjoyed hot meal prepared by our Sherpa crew. Since the group had back logged itinerary, it was another long day drive to Zangmu and connected to Kathmandu on 14th of May.

Explore Himalaya is happy to have all members of the team including Sherpas safely back after completing this historic mission and look forward to organize more trips in future on the similar itinerary. We congratulate the leader, Phil Coates along with other members: Raymond Tempest, Andrew Christie and Brook Matthew and also our Nepali members: Phurba Pasang Sherpa, Dendi Sherpa, Bag Bir Tamang, Ngawang Sherpa and Zangbu Sherpa. And of course, the Leader Michael Bromfield along with Andy Broom from “The Great Walks” also to be thanked and congratulated for their ambitious planning which let us have this opportunity to handle a Great Adventure Holiday in Tibet Himalaya.

The Government of Nepal recently announced a new trekking route in the Ganesh Himal area and a peak nearby ,at Langtang valley, north of Kathmandu, to be named after the founder of International Scouts ,Lord Baden Powell. This was done to mark the centenary celebration of the International Scouts’ Movement. To mark the launching of the Lord Baden Powell Trek and Lord Baden Powell Peak, scouts from different parts of the world gathered in Nepal. They went on a trek along the Lord Baden Powell Trek and ascended the Lord Baden Powell Peak. Here we reproduce the details of the trek as recorded by Mark Mangles, an Australian scout leader. The journey commenced from Kakani on the 27th of August, 2007. There were, altogether, seventeen trekking members from Australia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Excerpts from a trekker’s diary : A Day to Day Account of the Lord Baden Powell Trek

27th August ’07– We left Kakani for Syabrubesi. The drive was interesting because the bus kept breaking down on the way. We reached Trishuli and had lunch there. It started raining heavily from there onwards. On the way we came to a part of the road which was flooded. We had to stop and wait for the water to recede. After resuming our journey, we came to a new landslide that had just happened .The driver had to make an alternate arrangement for us. He arranged another bus. We had to walk across the landslide to get to the bus. After driving for about twenty minutes, we came to another landslide. We had to traverse in the dark, as it was already evening. When we reached the other side, we got on to another bus (the third one since we started our journey!).This one was quite crowded .There were about fifty-six passengers in the bus. We reached Syabrubesi at around 10 o’clock at night. It was a difficult journey but quite an interesting one. I took it as a  part of an adventure!

28th August ’07– We started our trek from Syabrubesi at 8o’clock in the morning. The weather was fairly hot, almost everybody got sunburn. We walked from Syabrubesi to Gatlang. It was a very steep climb. We climbed the first half of the day and the second half, we followed the road. The second part of the trek was easier than the first half. We stayed in Gatlang that day. We put up our tents in the school ground and spent the night there. It started raining during the night and from then on it rained constantly for ten days.

29th August ’07– It was a lucky day for us. After walking for about an hour and a half, we came to a village which was having a full-moon celebration. We got to participate in the singing and dancing. It was a very interesting experience. We enjoyed it very much!
The day’s walk was pretty easy. We walked for about six hours and climbed an altitude of 3,400 m. It was a good day.  One of the Korean girls celebrated her sixteenth birthday. We had a bit of a celebration that night.

30th August ’07-We had a steady climb, a bit up and a bit down. We passed some rhododendron bushes. Just after lunch we climbed through the 4000 meters mark. We walked for six hours that day. We spent the night at a kharka, which was at the height of 4,247 m.

31st August ’07-We got up and had porridge for breakfast (my favourite!).Since it was still raining, the way was a bit dangerous. We had to walk on narrow trails that were quite wet and slippery. It was a bit dangerous because the trail was quite steep. We walked for five hours and covered a distance of 2.5 kilometers. We spent the night at a height of 4,300 m. As it did not cease raining , we had a wet night!

1st September ’07-We trekked over four peaks that day. The chief highlight was, we reached the highest mark on the trek, 4,728 m. It was a fairly long day. We walked for about ten and a half hours. Unfortunately we could not enjoy the scenery as the weather was cloudy. We camped at Sanjun kharka.

2nd September ’07– We left Sanjun kharka for Tatopani. It rained the whole day. The route was pretty interesting because we actually had to cross over Tibet and walk for about a kilometer and half. We crossed some interesting bridges. It was a long day walk. But Tatopani(2,600 m) was very welcome. At Tatopani we got the chance to wash ourselves and our clothes .In fact Tatopani offered us the first opportunity to dry our clothes. We swam in the hot baths. We actually had a very restful stay in Tatopani.

3rd September ’07– Spent a restful day in Tatopani. Good food, great people, great place to relax!

4th September ’07-We left Tatopani for Nagthali. We walked for four hours. It was a reasonably short route. We got some sunshine during the day and so got the chance to enjoy some good views. The trek was uphill. As we passed through the Tamang Heritage route, we stopped at a Tamang village. We got to visit the gompas. The villagers were very friendly. We had a homestay that day.

5th September ’07-We left Nagthali and hit Thuman. It was downhill all the way. As it was raining, the trail was quite muddy and slippery. Sometimes during the day, the clouds shifted and we got to see some good views. It took two hours to walk from Nagthali to Thuman.
Thuman, a big Tamang village, has a medical centre and a school. We had two home stays at Thuman. The families that we got to stay with were very hospitable. They looked after us very well. We got to know a lot about Tamang culture from them. They do have a very rich culture.

6th September ’07– We left for Syabrubesi. The way was all up and down. We passed paddy and corn fields. We arrived at Syabrubesi at around 12o’clock.We had walked for four hours. It was good to be back in Syabrubesi. We had a small party that night as one of the trek members, a Singaporean, was going back. We had a good time!

“I found the trek quite adventurous and interesting because we had to trek under bad weather conditions. Although we could not enjoy the beautiful scenery that Nepal is so famous for,  it was still an interesting trek . We went to an area where normally people don’t go to. Being a new route, it was quite challenging for us. We reached a height of 4,700 meters which is fairly high for a trek It is a difficult trek and I wouldn’t recommend it to people who haven’t trekked before.” Mark Mangles

A Tribute to Lord Baden Powell and the Scouting Spirit

In the year 1907, a camp for young boys was organized by Robert Baden Powell, at Brownsea Island in England. Twenty boys spent twelve days divided into patrols, going on hikes, learning how to cook outdoors without utensils, learning patriotism and having a great time. This was the first scout’s camp. The success of this camp led to the formation of many more scout groups and camps. The year 2007 marks the centennial year of the scouts’ movement .In order to celebrate this momentous occasion, different programs has been organized by  scouts the world over.
The Government of Nepal, in order to mark the centenary celebrations, has announced a new trekking route in the Ganesh Himal area, and a peak nearby that falls under the Langtang valley region, after Lord Baden Powell, the founder of International Scouts. The new trekking route will be called Lord Baden Powell trek and the peak, known locally as Urkema Peak, as Lord Baden Powell Peak. This decision was taken to popularize trekking and climbing in the less frequented regions of Langtang and Ganesh Himal area among scout groups and young adventure sports enthusiasts.

A great number of scout groups visit Nepal every year. They come to this tiny Himalayan nation in search of ideal locations for outdoor activities like trekking, hiking, rafting, mountain climbing etc. The opening of the Lord Baden Powell Trail and the Lord Baden Powell Peak will obviously prove to be popular among these scout groups. It is also hoped that this decision will help promote tourism and boost the economy in the Langtang region and Ganesh Himal area.
The decision was also inspired by the location of the Nepal Scouts Camp in Kakani. Kakani, about an hour’s drive from Kathmandu lies on the way to Ganesh Himal. The location of Kakani is convenient to use as a set-off point for the 10-hour-journey towards the north–west, where the trekking tour in the Ganesh Himal area begins.

Lord Baden Powell Trek  
For a trip starting at the scout’s base in Kakani one can drive 117kms to Dunche, the headquarters of the Rasuwa district .The first night could be spent here, but if you are moving in your private vehicle you could make the drive all up to Gatlang. Starting your trek towards the north you can reach Sanjun Kharka, a large and beautiful kharka located near the Tibetan border. Going east from here, the trek leads to the hot springs of Tatopani and finally winds its way down to the village of Briddim (2,215m) , a large Tamang settlement .Continue to Goljung and Syabrubesi from where you can either drive back to Kathmandu or extend your trek to the Langtang region.

Lord Baden Powell Peak
Locally known as Urkema Peak, Lord Baden Powell Peak stands at an elevation of 5,718m.This mushroom shaped mountain situated in the Langtang region offers a perfect alternative to Imja Tse or Island Peak in the Khumbu region. On the way from Langtang to Kyangjin you will see a perfectly shaped snowy peak, which is situated slightly south of Naya Kanga(5844m) seen from the south-west, Urkema peak almost looks like Ama Dablam which is situated in the Everest region. However from the south-east the summit appears like a snowy cone, with a perfect ridge to be climbed on its southeast side. It is surrounded by majestic peaks such as Langtang II, Langtang Lirung, Dorje Lakpa and Xixapangma in Tibet.
The best base for the climb is the village of  Kyangjin(3,900m), which is a good place to acclimatize. Surrounded by majestic peaks such as Langtang Lirung ,Naya Kanga and Dorje Lakpa , Kyangjin is about 2.5 hours walk from Langtang village (3,480m).Once you get there it is best to take it easy , drink plenty of fluids and rest. You can visit Nepal’s first cheese factory, which was set up with Swiss technical assistance in1965, and is now government run.
A good peak to acclimatize for the climb is Tserko Ri(4,984m).It is situated like an island just north of Kyangjin, and is regarded as one of the most rewarding day trips. From Kyangjin it takes about 3-4 hours. Just follow the upper trail out of the village across the river and climb up the ridge to your left. From the top, which is awash with color due to the prayer flags, you can see Kyangjin Peak and Kyimoshung, with Langtang Lirung towering above them. To the north-east you will see the Yala Glacier and Yala Peak. Across the main valley, Naya Kanga dominates the scenery, with Urkema Peak peeping up behind its south-west ridge.

The Launch of Lord Baden Powell Trek and Lord Baden Powell Peak
To mark the launch of the Lord Baden Powell trek  and Lord Baden Powell Peak, scouts from different countries like Australia , Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore gathered in Nepal in the last week of August 2007 to go on a trek along the Lord Beden Powell route and finally ascend the Lord Baden Powell peak.
On 25th August the scouts were taken to Kakani where they were oriented and briefed about the proposed trek and climb. After spending two nights in Kakakni the group headed for the trek on  27th August. The trekking route covered Syabrubesi, Gatlang, Tatopani, Nagthali, Thuman, Rasuwa Gadi and finally returned to Syabrubesi. The group took eleven days to complete the trek. The trek ended on 6th September’07.
For the ascent of Lord Baden Powell Peak, the group set up their base camp at Kyangjin Gompa.   The high camp was at 4,996 m. After spending a night at the high camp, the group started the actual climb to the peak on 12th September’07 at 5am.  There were twenty-six members from Australia, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Nepal. Only fifteen climbers could make it to the summit. The first climber to reach the summit was Mark Mangles, a scout leader from Australia. It was amomentous occasion for scouts the world over, as a scout had conquered a virgin peak named after the founder of the scout movement, Lord Baden Powell. A visibly delighted Mark Mangles shared his experiences with Suman Pandey, President of Explore Himalyas after he returned to Kathmandu. Here we reproduce an account of the ascent to Lord Baden Powell Peak, as told by Mark Mangles.

Ascent to Baden Powell Peak
Kyangjin Gompa (3,900 m) served as our base camp. The route from the base camp to high camp is fairly steep .From Kyangjin, we headed back towards Langtang. There’s a bridge across the river. After we crossed the bridge we headed west .Then we came to a trekking trail which  is just opposite a village called Singdam (situated between Kyangjin and Langtang). This little trek goes up through a rhododendron forest. We followed the rhododendron bushes and crossed the river. We headed in a westerly direction up to the mountain and moved towards the south. We followed a ridge line all the way. There are two big cairns at 4135m.From the cairns we continued straight up heading towards the big, black triangular peak until we reached the top of the ridge at 4430m.We kept to the left of the rocky peak- the path follows a dried river bed and for the last two kilometers followed a very rocky and steep slope. Then we reached the high camp after climbing for four to five hours. It sure was an uphill climb!

The high camp at 4,996 m, took around four to five hours to reach from Kyangjin. The place where we set up our high camp is a good open ground .There is no vegetation .It is a large rocky area but with fresh water flowing through it. It is right below the snowline and right above the timber line. It is fairly flat. I found this unusual as most high camps are in slopes. But it was good as we could put up our tents easily and spend a comfortable night. The view from the high camp is fantastic. To the north, you have a magnificent view of Langtang Lirung, Langshisa Ri and Xixapangma in Tibet. To the south, the impressive south face of Naya Kanga (5844m)  towers above. Since the camp area is totally flat, we could put up our tents easily. We passed the night at the high camp.

On 12th Sept., we woke up at 3:30 AM. We had our breakfast and got ready for our climb at 5o’clock.All twenty- five of us started the ascent together .This posed a bit of a problem as some of the quicker people got held up  by having to wait for the slower or inexperienced ones. In our group there were some people who had done a lot of climbing and some who had never climbed a mountain before. So there were some delays caused by this. I think it would have been better if there were less people. A group of ten would be ideal, I think.

We made it to the summit in one day. The first part of our ascent was the climb at the glacier. The glacier was very icy and very steep. So we needed a fixed rope for that. There were four sherpas leading the way and they fixed the rope for us. Altogether there were six fixed ropes .Three more sherpas helped the climbers.  I think they did an excellent job. After the glacier we had to climb up a bit of a ice fall. It was fairly steep and nearly vertical at about eighty degrees.  Then we had to walk a bit. We came across another steep peak which was about sixty degrees. So we needed another rope up. We came around another peak before reaching the main peak. We climbed that up and we had a fixed rope at the main peak. A lot of time was spent on waiting for the fixed ropes

I was the first person to make it to the summit. I reached the summit at around 12 o’clock. After half an hour, a Taiwanese climber joined me. He was soon followed by three more Taiwanese guys. After them, seven Koreans joined us at the summit. I stayed at the summit for about an hour. As it was starting to get too crowded, I left for the high camp. At the summit there’s room enough for just around eight people. I descended alone and reached the camp at 3 o’clock. It took me around two hours to climb down to the high camp. As I made my way down, I passed the rest of the climbers. The last climber to make it to the summit was a Nepali climber, Naresh Maharjan. He made it to the summit around the same time I reached the high camp.
As I had reached the high camp quite early, I decided to return to the base camp (Kyangjin Gompa), with a porter.  Later on, I got to know that the last climber had reached the high camp at around 7:30 PM. The rest of the group decided to spend the night at the high camp. They arrived at the base camp, Kyangjin Gompa, the next day at 11o’clock.

I found the climb very interesting. I had done a bit of climbing in New Zealand and Australia and compared to that, this climb was a bit standard. From the climbing perspective, this climb probably makes it to the PD+ grade( climbing grade).But I would suggest that too many would not  trek  in one go. It is best if the group size is small, around ten people. If it’s a large group a lot of time is wasted in getting organized.

It makes me very proud to be the first person to conquer the peak, especially one named after a famous scout. That the Nepal Government has named this peak after Lord Baden Powell is a matter of great honor for us scouts. Lord Baden Powell has done a lot of good throughout the world, so it’s great to have a peak named after him. I think it’s a good challenge for scouts to come out here, especially to climb a peak named after the founder of the scouts’ movement. I think Baden Powell Peak offers a good challenge to the scouts. I would suggest them to come out here and climb it. I would surely encourage the scouts in Australia to do it. I think it is a worthwhile activity .I will surely return and do it again!